Croswell Opera House

129 E. Maumee Street,
Adrian, MI 49221

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Croswell Opera House (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: W.S. Butterfield Theaters Inc.

Architects: John C. Brompton, Horatio Nelson White

Functions: Live Performances, Live Theater, Special Events

Styles: Neo-Classical

Previous Names: Adrian Union Hall, Croswell Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 517.264.7469
Manager: 517.263.6868

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News About This Theater

Croswell Opera House

The Croswell Opera House was opened in 1866 and was designed by architect Horatio Nelson White. It was converted into a 1,386-seat movie theatre from 1921 to the plans of architect John C. Brompton and in 1925 was equipped with a Kimball 2 manual theatre pipe organ. By 1941 the Croswell Theatre was operated by Butterfield Michigan Theaters Co. Movies continued until 1967. It returned to live performances in 1968. The Croswell Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 18, 1985.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on June 30, 2007 at 2:06 pm

Under Adrian Michigan in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide is listed the New Croswell Opera House, C.D. Hardy, Mgr. Seating listed as 1,158; admission prices ranged from 25 cents to $1. The house had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 28 feet wide X 18 feet high, and the stage was 37 feet deep. There were 8 in the house orchestra. Hotels were the Lawrence and the Emery. There were 2 daily newspapers, the Times and the Telegram, and 3 weeklies. Railroads were the LS&MS and the Wabash.

rivest266
rivest266 on October 28, 2012 at 11:11 am

Street View of Google’s now takes you inside this theatre.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on May 5, 2020 at 1:15 pm

1952 photo added credit Jeffrey Emerson‎.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 15, 2022 at 11:20 pm

An article in the Detroit Free Press of October 11, 1865, while the Croswell Opera House was under construction, said that the new house had been designed by Syracuse, New York architect Horatio Nelson White. Among White’s innovations at the Croswell, he employed a system of trusses, braces and iron ties to support the horseshoe-shaped gallery, eliminating the need for columns or heavy brackets on the main floor. This was of course lost when the auditorium was gutted for the 1921 reconstruction to the plans of John C. Brompton.

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